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GIFT  OF 


Saturday 

Night  Thoughts 

in  Lent 


SATURDAY  NIGHT  THOUGHTS 
IN  LENT 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts 
In  Lent 


BY 


OLIVIA  EGLESTON  PHELPS  STOKES 


Reprinted  from  the 
Redlands  Daily  Facts 
Redlands,  California 


THE  JORDAN  &  MORE  PRESS 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


Copyright.  1922, 
By  OLIVIA  B.  PHBLPS  STOKES 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


THE  JORDAN  &  MORE  PRESS 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


Dear  Lord  and  Father  of  mankind, 

Forgive  our  foolish  ways! 
Re-clothe  us  in  our  rightful  mind, 
In  purer  lives  Thy  service  find, 

In  deeper  reverence,  praise. 

In  simple  trust  like  theirs  who  heard, 

Beside  the  Syrian  sea, 
The  gracious  calling  of  the  Lord, 
Let  us,  like  them,  without  a  word, 

Rise  up  and  follow  Thee. 

JOHN  G.  WHITTIER, 


SATURDAY  NIGHT  THOUGHTS  IN 
LENT 

An  ancient  people  kept  the  night  before 
their  Sabbath  as  a  time  of  preparation  for 
the  following  day.  May  it  not  be  helpful 
for  us  to  follow  their  example  during  the 
coming  season  of  Lent,  and  take  time  on 
Saturday  nights  to  prepare  for  the  Lord's 
day? 

Let  us  consider  for  a  few  moments  in 
the  quiet  of  this  evening  the  relation  of  a 
loving  father  to  an  obedient  affectionate 
child,  and  this  will  help  us  to  understand 
the  relation  of  our  Heavenly  Father  to 
us.  The  child  has  confidence  in  his  father, 
tells  him  all  that  happens,  makes  him  his 
hero,  is  proud  of  him,  tells  other  boys  about 
him,  and  wants  them  to  know  him.  His 
ambition  is  to  be  like  his  father.  The 
father  advises,  directs,  and  with  love 
reproves  his  son.  There  is  sympathy  and 
understanding  between  them  beautiful  to 
see,  which  brings  contentment  and  happi- 
ness to  both. 

i 


in  Lent 

This  outlines  the  relation  that  should 
exist  between  our  Heavenly  Father  and  us 
His  children.  It  should  be  a  relation  of 
mutual  trust  and  confidence.  We  should 
go  to  our  Heavenly  Father  with  all  the 
events  of  our  life,  and  ask  His  advice  and 
guidance.  We  should  speak  to  Him  often 
and  enjoy  His  companionship.  There 
should  be  a  bond  of  sympathy  between 
us  and  our  Heavenly  Father  that  will  grow 
deeper  and  stronger  as  life  goes  on.  We 
should  feel  Him  near  to  us  at  all  times, 
knowing  that  we  have  His  loving  sympathy 
in  trouble  and  sorrow,  and  that  He  will 
never  leave  us  nor  forsake  us,  even  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  will  lead  us  to  the 
Other  World,  always  helping  us  and  lov- 
ing us. 

Let  us  to-night  and  to-morrow  read 
about  our  Heavenly  Father,  think  about 
Him,  talk  to  Him,  realizing  that  He  is  a 
kind,  loving,  all  powerful  Father,  until  our 
hearts  are  full  of  love  to  Him,  and  we  desire 
to  do  what  He  wishes  us  to  do,  to  be  like 
Him,  to  work  with  Him,  to  tell  others 
about  Him,  remembering  that  when  the 
disciples  asked  Christ  how  they  should 
address  God,  He  said,  when  ye  pray,  say 
Father. 

2 


GOD'S  POWER  AND  HIS  DESIRE 

TO  IMPART  IT  TO  HIS 

CHILDREN 

Last  Saturday  night  we  considered  God 
as  our  Heavenly  Father,  realizing  that  He 
was  a  loving  Father,  and  we  resolved  that 
we  would  do  what  He  wishes  us  to  do. 
We  know  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  keep 
some  of  His  commandments,  and  to-night 
and  to-morrow  let  us  consider  the  great 
help  we  have  in  doing  His  will. 

The  Bible  gives  us  to  understand  that 
man  is  made  in  God's  image,  and  the  differ- 
ence between  God  and  man  appears  to  be 
largely  that  God  is  perfect  and  has  vast 
power.  We  see  in  California  the  great 
trees;  no  human  hand  planted  them,  no 
human  hand  nourished  them,  but  God  the 
great  gardener  planted  them  and  brought 
them  to  perfection.  We  look  up  to  the 
heavens  to-night  and  see  the  multitude  of 
stars  and  planets  each  revolving  on  its  own 
orbit,  each  keeping  on  its  own  course,  not 
touching  nor  interfering  with  each  other. 
The  sun  goes  down  at  night  out  of  sight  but 

3 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

we  are  sure  it  will  rise  again  in  the  morning. 
These  things  give  us  some  idea  of  God's 
power. 

There  are  many  men  and  women  who 
have  been  desperately  bound  down  by 
wrong  habits  but  by  God's  power  overcame 
them  and  became  fine  and  noble.  We 
recall  what  the  Apostle  Paul  said,  "  I  can 
do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strength- 
eneth  me."  John  Gough,  the  great  temper- 
ance lecturer,  was  "  staggering  along  the 
streets  of  Worcester,  hopeless,  homeless, 
on  the  very  verge  of  self-destruction.  A 
kind  hand  is  laid  on  his  shoulder,  a  kind 
voice  calls  him  by  name  and  asks,  *  Why 
not  sign  the  pledge,  Mr.  Gough?  '  "  He 
did  so  and  became  one  of  the  greatest 
lecturers  on  temperance,  and  the  means  of 
leading  thousands  to  change  their  lives. 

We  have  seen  in  the  great  war  frail 
women  undertake  work  which  appeared  far 
beyond  their  strength,  and  that  they  did 
not  seem  physically  able  to  do.  Still  they 
went  forward  and  did  more  than  their 
friends  believed  they  could  do,  conducting 
canteens  for  soldiers,  being  up  at  all  hours 
of  the  night  when  trains  came  through 
where  they  were  working,  carrying  along 
the  sides  of  the  trains  heavy  trays  of  hot 

4 


God's  Power  to  Impart 

coffee  for  the  soldiers  within  who  could  not 
disembark,  and  doing  it  happily  and  with  a 
smile.  When  canteens  were  bombarded 
they  spent  the  night  in  cellars,  sometimes 
standing  the  whole  night,  thankful  if  they 
could  find  places  to  lean  against  the  wall, 
or  greatly  relieved  if  they  could  carry  in 
chairs  on  which  to  rest.  And  in  hospitals 
where  the  wounded  were  crowded  in  they 
did  the  bravest  work. 

We  remember  how  the  soldiers  met  the 
life  of  the  camp,  and  dying  bravely  appeared 
before  their  Maker  "  Gentlemen  all," 
that  is,  pure,  true  and  brave. 

The  power  to  do  all  this  came  from  their 
Maker.  This  power  He  stands  ready  to 
impart  to  all  His  children  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  night,  to  enable  them  to  resist 
temptation,  to  keep  strong,  and  to  help 
them  to  make  their  characters  like  God's 
character. 

"  Forgive  us  for  so  often  looking  on  the 
limitations  of  our  lives  instead  of  realizing 
our  limitless  power  in  Thy  power;  and 
forgive  us  for  all  our  incomprehensible 
slowness  in  making  use  of  the  power." 


THE  FRUITS  OF  THE  SPIRIT 

What  are  the  fruits  of  the  spirit?  The 
Apostle  Paul  has  told  us  what  some  of 
these  are  when  he  wrote:  "The  fruit  of 
the  spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  fidelity,  meekness, 
self-control." 

Let  us  consider  to-night  and  to-morrow 
whether  we  have  these  fruits  of  the  spirit, 
how  we  can  get  them  and  help  others  to 
have  them.  To  have  them  is  according  to 
our  Heavenly  Father's  wishes,  for  Christ 
His  son  has  said,  "  Herein  is  my  Father 
glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit;  and  so 
shall  ye  be  my  disciples."  If  we  are  keep- 
ing His  commandments  and  are  living  in 
communion  with  our  Heavenly  Father 
these  fruits  will  grow.  We  must  not  be 
discouraged  if  we  do  not  have  what  we 
wish  immediately,  but  remember  that  it  is 
"  First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear." 

A  candle  may  remain  for  years  on  the 
mantel  and  it  is  only  when  it  is  lit  that  light 
shines  from  it  into  the  room  and  it  is  of 

6 


The  Fruits  of  the  Spirit 

service.  Gas  needs  a  match  applied  before 
it  gives  out  a  flame  to  light  and  serve. 
Electricity  must  have  a  spark  before  it  can 
illuminate  and  give  out  its  wonderful 
power.  There  are  men  and  women  who 
live  without  giving  out  light  and  service; 
they  need  to  take  the  power  God  can  give 
them  and  by  its  help  shine  and  do  service 
for  God. 

There  are  many  all  around  us  who  need 
our  help.  Our  community  needs  our  help, 
organized  ways  of  doing  good  need  our 
help,  our  country  needs  our  help,  and  the 
world  needs  our  help.  Two  things  are 
especially  needed  at  present.  One  is  to 
provide  suitable  meeting  places  for  men  to 
take  the  place  of  the  closed  saloon,  and  the 
other  is  to  urge  and  encourage  the  large 
constituency ,  of  women  who  have  lately 
become  voters  to  use  their  votes  for  the 
good  of  their  country,  doing  their  utmost 
to  put  only  the  best  men  into  office,  and 
seeing  that  the  government  is  conducted 
with  justice  and  honesty. 

Let  us  earnestly  consider  where  best 
we  can  use  the  power  God  has  given  us  to 
help  make  this  world  God's  world.  Let 
us  go  through  life  with  our  hands  extended 
ready  to  help  others  who  may  stumble  in 
7 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

the  way,  showing  others  how  they  may 
resist  temptation,  how  they  may  be  patient 
under  trials,  substituting  courage  for  self- 
pity,  how  they  may  get  rid  of  jealousy, 
envy,  pride,  irritability  and  all  evils,  and 
have  Christ  as  their  companion. 

This  prayer  may  be  helpful  for  us  to  use 
to-night  and  to-morrow : 

"  Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart: 
Try  me,  and  know  my  thoughts : 
And  see  if  there  be  any  way  of  wicked- 
ness in  me, 
And  lead  me  in  the  way  everlasting." 


KNOWING  GOD  THROUGH  PRAYER 

Are  we  not  apt  to  think  that  prayer  is 
asking  God  for  things  we  want?  But  is 
this  the  highest  meaning  of  prayer?  Is  not 
prayer  more  truly  communion  with  God, 
asking  God  to  tell  us  what  He  wants  us  to 
do,  to  make  the  path  of  duty  clear  to  us? 
Being  willing  to  do  what  God  wishes  us  to 
do,  should  we  not  earnestly  and  happily 
ask  that  we  may  know  what  His  will  is,  and 
not  only  to  know  what  He  wishes  us  to  do 
but  to  ask  Him  to  be  with  us  in  doing  it, 
and  to  give  us  help  to  do  it?  In  this  com- 
munion with  our  Heavenly  Father  we  be- 
come acquainted  with  Him. 

Prayer  is  as  certain  to  be  heard  as  eating 
food  is  certain  to  sustain  life.  Have  you 
not  been  assailed  by  a  temptation,  and  upon 
lifting  your  heart  in  prayer,  felt  the  force 
of  the  temptation  lessened,  so  that  you 
could  put  it  from  you?  Or  when  hard, 
unjust  words  have  been  spoken,  and  a  cry 
has  been  sent  to  God,  have  not,  instead 
of  hatred  and  bitterness,  quiet  and  peace 
entered  your  soul? 

9 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

Have  sorrow  and  remorse  come  for 
wrong  acts  that  have  injured  your  life  or, 
more  deeply  sad,  injured  the  life  of  another, 
yet  even  in  the  anguish,  did  not  help  come 
with  the  knowledge  that  Another  mightier 
and  more  powerful  was  not  failing  you,  but 
was  walking  by  your  side  comforting  you? 
For  in  loss  and  cruel  loneliness,  His 
sustaining  love  is  yours;  peace  comes 
through  speaking  with  Him. 

We  can  speak  to  Him  at  any  time  of  day 
and  night  and  have  His  help.  Tennyson 
wrote : 

"  Speak  to  Him,  thou,  for  He  hears,  and 

Spirit  with  Spirit  can  meet  — 
Closer  is  He  than  breathing,  and  nearer 
than  hands  and  feet." 

Many,  very  many  can  testify  to  prayer 
answered.  Through  prayer  they  have  come 
to  know  what  God  wants  them  to  do  and 
have  obtained  strength  to  carry  on  the 
work  He  has  given  them  to  do,  doing  it  not 
sadly  but  joyously. 

In  doing  God's  will,  keeping  His  com- 
mandments, communing  or  talking  with 
Him,  He  becomes  "  The  Great  Compan- 
ion "  and  no  life  can  be  lonely  or  sad  with 
10 


Knowing  God  Through  Prayer 

His  companionship.  A  great  preacher  has 
written  of  this  companionship:  "  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  personal  this  grows  to  me. 
He  is  here.  He  knows  me,  I  know  Him. 
It  is  no  figure  of  speech.  It  is  the  reallest 
thing  in  the  world,  and  every  day  makes  it 
realler.  And  one  wonders  with  delight 
what  it  will  grow  to  as  the  years  go  on." 
May  we  learn  to  know  by  practice  what  this 
communion  means,  and  the  blessedness 
and  inspiration  of  this  companionship. 


11 


MIRACLES 

The  Century  Dictionary  defines  a  miracle 
as  "  An  effect  in  nature  not  attributable  to 
any  of  the  recognized  operations  of  nature 
nor  to  the  act  of  man,  but  indicative  of 
superhuman  power,  and  serving  as  a  sign 
or  witness  thereof."  Considering  this 
definition  together  with  the  fact  that  men 
are  discovering  "  operations  of  nature  " 
not  recognized  nor  known  before,  we  re- 
alize that  miracles  are  going  on  all  the 
time,  only  we  have  not  recognized  them. 

We  did  not  know  we  could  telegraph 
until  Morse  discovered  the  "  operations 
of  nature  "  that  accomplished  this.  We 
did  not  know  that  we  could  speak  through 
a  tube  and  our  voices  be  heard  across 
a  continent  until  Bell  discovered  the 
"  operations  of  nature  "  that  enable  us  to 
do  this.  A  sinking  liner  could  not  call  for 
help  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean  by  wireless 
telegraphy,  and  steamers  rush  to  its  assis- 
tance saving  hundreds  of  its  passengers 
from  death,  until  Marconi  discovered  the 
"  operations  of  nature"  that  made  this 
possible.  Watts  watched  a  simple  "  opera- 

12 


Miracles 

tion  of  nature  "  and  learned  from  it  to 
make  the  steam  engine  which  revolution- 
ized transportation  on  land  and  sea,  and 
solved  many  of  its  problems. 

When  I  was  young  we  had  a  large 
aquarium  which  contained  aquatic  plants, 
gold  fish  and  tadpoles.  We  were  told  that 
these  tadpoles  would  turn  into  frogs,  but 
having  outlived  the  charming  legend  of 
Santa  Claus,  I  kept  quiet  determining  to 
see  for  myself  if  that  statement  was  cor- 
rect. I  watched  in  the  light  and  sunshine 
of  a  large  window  these  square-set  tad- 
poles going  up  and  down  the  aquarium, 
propelled  by  their  flat,  wriggling  tails,  and 
found  it  difficult  to  believe  that  these 
creatures  could  become  slender,  long- 
legged  frogs;  but  one  spring  morning 
there  on  the  top  of  a  growing,  aquatic  plant 
sat  a  shiny,  long-legged  frog,  blinking  his 
eyes.  I  was  startled  and  stood  quite  sub- 
dued, thinking,  and  I  know  in  substance 
that  I  thought,  "  This  has  been  done  by 
some  one."  And  then  I  thought,  "It  is 
God  who  did  it,"  and  I  was  awed  by  the 
thought  of  what  the  wonderful  Heavenly 
Father  could  do. 

Again  I  remember  that  when  years  later 
my  sister  and  I  were  traveling  in  Europe, 

13 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

the  night  before  we  left  Paris  for  the 
United  States  a  Frenchman  called  and  on 
leaving  gave  my  sister  some  silkworm 
eggs,  saying  they  would  make  the  finest  of 
silkworms.  My  sister  put  the  pretty,  tiny, 
yellow  and  white  eggs  into  a  small  wooden 
box,  and  on  returning  to  New  York  put  the 
box  into  a  closet.  During  the  long,  cold 
winter  the  eggs  were  forgotten,  but  one 
day  in  spring  she  remembered  them,  and 
opening  the  box  found  several  mites  of 
worms,  with  some  dead  ones,  and  some 
eggs  not  hatched.  Lettuce  and  all  availa- 
ble green  vegetables  were  given  these 
mites  but  they  would  not  touch  them.  I 
remembered  my  mother  telling  us  that 
when  she  was  young  the  raising  of  silk- 
worms was  encouraged  in  this  country, 
ladies  taking  up  the  occupation  on  patriotic 
principles,  and  that  when  mulberry  leaves 
were  not  available,  the  leaves  of  the  osage 
orange  could  be  substituted.  As  we  had  a 
hedge  of  these  bushes  in  our  city  garden 
that  were  just  coming  into  leaf,  some  were 
immediately  picked  and  the  tiny  atoms 
that  were  lying  quiet  and  apparently  dying 
began  ravenously  to  eat  them.  Later  mul- 
berry leaves  procured  from  a  nursery  on 
Long  Island  were  fed  to  them. 

14 


Miracles 

These  little  worms  quickly  grew  into 
large  caterpillars.  They  were  placed  with 
twigs  of  the  mulberry  tree  in  a  large  box, 
which  was  put  into  the  conservatory  open- 
ing from  the  library,  and  the  first  thing  in 
the  morning  and  the  last  at  night  were 
inspected  and  commented  on.  In  time 
these  very  large  caterpillars  ceased  to  eat, 
and  one  was  noticed  to  be  weaving  fine  silk 
thread  around  and  between  the  fork  of  a 
mulberry  twig.  Soon  all  the  caterpillars 
were  spinning  beautiful  yellow  or  white 
cocoons,  living  tombs  they  seemed,  for  we 
could  see  the  caterpillar  moving  about 
inside.  Then  all  was  still,  death  seemed  to 
reign.  We  would  look  into  this  large  box 
of  tombs  as  one  would  go  into  a  room  where 
some  one  lay  dead,  feeling  that  all  life  must 
be  over.  One  morning  a  shout  came  from 
the  conservatory  that  a  cocoon  was  open- 
ing. A  beautiful  white  moth,  struggling 
hard  to  emerge  through  an  opening  it  had 
made  in  the  cocoon,  worked  his  way  out  and 
in  a  few  days  one  by  one  the  cocoons  were 
opened,  and  the  big  box  was  filled  with 
moths.  I  stood  at  its  side  as  I  had  stood 
as  a  little  girl  by  our  aquarium  and  said, 
"  It  is  God  who  has  done  this." 

And  so  it  was  when  reading  the  miracles 

15 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

in  the  Bible,  it  was  not  difficult  to  believe 
them  for  I  said,  "  I  too  have  seen  miracles; 
they  are  going  on  all  the  time  about  us, 
only  we  do  not  recognize  them."  Do  not 
these  wonders  and  the  miracles  in  the 
Bible  serve  "as  a  sign  of  a  superhuman 
power  "  constantly  working  for  us?  May 
it  not  be  well  for  us  to  carefully  observe 
the  works  of  nature  and  to  help  children  to 
observe  them  and  to  realize  that  these 
are  God's  work?  We  are  comforted  when 
we  realize  that  God  is  not  far  off,  but  that 
He  is  here  working  constantly  for  His 
children.  May  it  not  be  that  in  these  mani- 
festations God  is  showing  us  His  power, 
and  should  we  not  more  fully  realize  that 
He  is  ready  at  all  times  to  communicate 
this  power  to  His  children  to  help  them  to 
do  right? 


16 


COURAGE 

There  are  two  kinds  of  courage,  one  is 
physical  and  the  other  is  moral.  Both 
are  good  and  are  to  be  desired,  and  we 
should  have  both. 

We  need  courage  on  awaking  each  morn- 
ing to  meet  the  duties  of  the  home  life,  the 
temptations,  the  cares  and  the  sorrows  of 
the  day.  Sometimes  we  take  these  up  with 
a  heavy,  sad  heart;  nerves  may  not  be 
strong,  and  a  dread  hangs  over  us  that  we 
will  not  be  able  to  do  what  is  required  of 
us.  May  not  the  words  of  the  English 
writer,  Arthur  Benson,  help  us?  "  In  old 
days,  if  I  had  a  disagreeable  engagement 
ahead  of  me,  something  to  which  I  looked 
forward  with  anxiety  or  dislike,  I  used 
to  find  that  it  poisoned  my  cup.  Now 
it  is  beginning  to  be  the  other  way;  and 
I  find  myself  with  a  heightened  sense 
of  pleasure  in  the  quiet  and  peaceful  days 
that  have  to  intervene  before  the  fateful 
morning  dawns.  I  used  to  awake  in  the 
morning  on  the  days  that  were  still  my 
own  before  the  day  which  I  dreaded,  and 
begin,  in  that  agitated  mood  which  used  to 

17 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

accompany  the  return  of  consciousness 
after  sleep,  when  the  mind  is  alert  but 
unbalanced,  to  anticipate  the  thing  I  feared, 
and  feel  that  I  could  not  face  it.  Now  I 
tend  to  awake  and  say  to  myself,  '  Well,  at 
any  rate  I  have  still  to-day  in  my  own 
hands ' ;  and  then  the  very  day  itself  has 
an  increased  value  from  the  feeling  that 
the  uncomfortable  experience  lies  ahead." 
It  is  also  well  to  recall  these  lines : 

"  Build  a  little  fence  of  trust  around  to-day, 
Fill  the  space  with  loving  deeds,  and 

therein  stay, 
Look  not  through  the    sheltering   bars 

upon  to-morrow, 
God  will  help  thee  bear  what  comes,  of 

joy  or  sorrow." 

These  most  helpful  thoughts  give  us 
courage  to  undertake  each  duty  of  the  day 
calmly  and  quietly,  for  "As  thy  days  so 
shall  thy  strength  be,"  and  night  shuts 
down  upon  us  with  the  knowledge  that 
with  God's  help  we  have  done  what  was 
required  of  us  well.  An  Eastern  monarch 
demanded  a  motto  which  should  enable 
him  to  bear  prosperity  with  moderation, 
and  adversity  with  fortitude  and  was  given, 
"  This,  too,  will  soon  pass  over." 

18 


Courage 

We  need  courage  when  temptations 
come  to  resist  them;  to  resist  the  tempta- 
tion to  exaggerate  in  story  and  in  state- 
ment before  it  becomes  a  habit,  and  we 
become  untrustworthy.  There  comes  the 
temptation  not  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  for 
if  we  do  we  will  be  blamed.  Or  we  colour 
our  statements  and  the  truth  is  not  seen. 
These  half  truths  are  mean,  cowardly 
things,  they  hurt  our  souls.  Lowell  has 
written  of  truth : 

"  Those  love  her  best  who  to  themselves 

are  true, 

And  what  they  dare  to  dream  of,  dare  to 
do." 

Henry  Dwight  Sedgwick  writes  of  young 
Colonel  Charles  Russell  Lowell  who  was 
killed  in  the  Civil  War  and  who  had  both 
physical  and  moral  courage:  "  While 
Lowell  lay  stretched  on  a  table,  just  before 
his  death,  paralyzed  from  the  shoulders 
down,  one  of  his  officers  was  lying  near 
him,  dying,  and  oppressed  by  the  agony  of 
death.  Lowell  said  to  him,  '  I  have  always 
been  able  to  count  on  you,  you  were  always 
brave.  Now  you  must  meet  this  as  you 
have  the  other  trials  —  be  steady  —  I 
count  on  you.'  In  the  presence  of  death  he 

19 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

shared  with  his  comrade  his  own  courage." 
Many  an  invalid  is  a  blessing  to  her 
family;  her  patient,  courageous  life  has 
inspired  the  lives  of  others,  and  the  love 
poured  out  has  brought  rich  returns  to  the 
giver. 

Courage  is  needed  to  fight  the  enemies 
in  our  own  country,  who  by  stealing  from 
their  country's  treasury,  and  in  other  ways, 
are  injuring  her.  We  need  courage  to  cor- 
rect the  faults  in  our  churches,  first  by 
living  nobly  ourselves,  shining  for  God  in 
our  own  places.  We  need  courage  to  face 
our  faults  and  our  sins,  to  determine  us  to 
get  rid  of  them  and  to  profit  by  the  lessons 
to  be  learned  from  them,  then  in  God's 
strength  to  go  forward  to  meet  the  diffi- 
culties of  life,  not  worrying  over  the  past. 
Courage  is  needed  to  live  with  people  who 
are  not  sympathetic  with  us,  who  are  uncon- 
genial. Courage  is  needed  to  bear  bravely 
untruthful  accusations  against  us,  some 
so  wide-spread  and  difficult  to  correct  that 
they  must  be  borne  a  lifetime.  If  another 
is  slandered  we  must  not  remain  quiet 
and  let  it  pass,  but  correct  it  and  do  for 
others  what  we  would  want  them  to  do  for 
us.  If  we  have  made  mistakes,  if  we  have 
sinned,  and  friends  do  not  trust  us,  then 
20 


Courage 

infinite  courage  is  needed  to  reconstruct 
our  lives.  Courage  is  needed  when  we 
decide  on  a  course  of  action  that  we  believe 
to  be  right  to  steadily  hold  to  it. 

We  recall  the  poem  telling  of  courage  in 
the  trenches : 

"  There  is  a  Light  wher'er  I  go, 

There  is  a  Splendor  where  I  wait. 
Though  all  around  be  desolate, 
Warm  on  my  eyes  I  feel  the  glow. 

The  fight  is  long,  the  triumph  slow, 
Yet  shall  my  soul  stand  strong  and 
straight; 

There  is  a  Light  wher'er  I  go, 

There  is  a  Splendor  where  I  wait." 


21 


THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  GOOD 
FRIDAY 

To-morrow  we  will  commemorate  an 
event  in  Christ's  life  that  proves  His  great 
love  for  us.  He  said  while  on  this  earth, 
"  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends,' ' 
and  that  is  what  Christ  did  for  us.  In 
coming  to  this  world  Christ  helped  us  in 
many  ways.  He  manifested  or  proved  to 
us  what  God  really  is.  The  world  appears 
to  have  thought  of  God  as  severe  and 
ready  to  punish  at  the  slightest  provocation, 
but  Christ  who  was  like  His  Father  showed 
us  by  His  life  and  death  that  God  was  a 
loving,  kind  Father  ready  to  forgive  all  who 
repented  of  their  sins.  In  living  among  us 
Christ  showed  us  by  His  life  how  we  must 
live  and  how  to  make  our  characters  like 
His  character,  and  then  He  showed  His 
great  unselfish  love  for  us  by  suffering 
death  on  the  cross. 

God  forgives  to  the  uttermost.  An  an- 
cient prophet  has  said,  "  Though  your  sins 
be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as 
snow."  Our  sins  weigh  upon  us  like  heavy 
22 


The  Night  Before  Good  Friday 

chains  around  our  necks.  It  is  wrong  and 
deeply  sad  that  we  have  sinned,  but  our 
Heavenly  Father  will  help  us  to  bear  the 
burden.  Let  us  ask  Him  to  do  this. 

Do  not  be  afraid  to  go  to  Him.  "  He 
pities  those  who  fear  Him."  He  is  longing 
and  waiting  for  us  to  come  to  Him.  No 
earthly  father  or  mother  can  rejoice  over  a 
child  who  has  strayed  far  from  his  home 
and  returned  as  God  rejoices.  Earthly 
parents  do  not  say,  "  Some  one  must  be 
found  to  bear  the  punishment  of  your  sins 
before  I  can  forgive  you."  When  the 
prodigal  son,  who  had  wasted  all  his  sub- 
stance in  riotous  living  returned  repentant 
to  his  father's  home,  his  father  seeing  him 
coming  afar  off  ran  to  meet  him  and  fell  on 
his  neck  and  kissed  him  saying,  "  This  my 
son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again;  he  was 
lost  and  is  found." 

Our  Heavenly  Father  is  watching  for  our 
return  from  wrong  doing.  If  we  return  to 
Him  repentant  He  will  take  us  in  His 
embrace  and  welcome  us  home  and  "  joy 
shall  be  in  heaven  "  over  our  return.  Let 
us  go  to  Him  repenting  and  give  Him  this 
joy,  and  let  us  get  the  peace  in  our  hearts 
which  will  come  from  this.  Should  not 
His  love  determine  us  with  the  deepest 

23 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

determination  to  sin  no  more,  to  keep  our 
hand  in  His  hand,  looking  up  to  Him  for 
help? 

"  Repentance  is  to  leave  the  sins  we  loved 

before, 

And  show  that  we  in  earnest  are  by  doing 
them  no  more." 

Christ  by  His  death  teaches  us  the  law 
of  sacrifice,  the  entering  into  the  lives  of 
others  with  love  as  He  did,  the  bearing  of 
others*  burdens.  In  His  anguish  on  the 
cross  He  did  not  think  of  Himself.  He 
prayed  for  those  who  brought  about  His 
death,  "  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do."  For  His  mother 
He  gave  loving  thought,  commending  her 
to  the  care  of  His  beloved  disciple  and 
friend,  who  was  to  be  a  son  in  His  place. 

No  words  of  ours  can  repay  His  love, 
but  there  is  a  way  for  we  remember  that 
He  said,  "  If  a  man  love  me,  he  will  keep 
my  word:  and  my  Father  will  love  him, 
and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our 
abode  with  him."  And  He  has  made  this 
way  easy  in  promising,  "I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
It  encourages  us  in  our  trials  to  remember 

24 


The  Night  Before  Good  Friday 

that  although  under  the  shadow  of 
approaching  death  on  the  cross  he  could 
say,  "  My  peace  I  give  unto  you."  We 
too  may  have  this  peace  if  we  live  in  His 
companionship  and  like  Him  are  lovingly, 
helpfully,  sacrificing  ourselves  for  others. 
May  we  determine  to-night  that  we  will 
have  this  peace,  and  that  we  will  be  better 
and  nobler  this  coming  year  than  ever 
before. 


THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  EASTER 

Two  nights  ago  we  considered  Christ's 
death  and  how  in  it  He  showed  His  great 
love  for  us,  and  to-night  as  we  consider 
His  resurrection  we  realize  another  token 
of  His  love  for  us  in  His  rising  from  the 
dead,  and  we  have  the  happiness  of  re- 
alizing that  our  resurrection  is  sure. 

On  the  Friday  when  our  Lord's  body  had 
been  taken  down  from  the  cross,  Joseph  of 
Arimathea  laid  it  in  his  own  tomb  which  he 
had  hewn  out  of  the  rock  in  a  garden.  As 
the  two  Marys  came  to  this  sepulchre  they 
found  the  stone  that  closed  the  sepulchre 
rolled  away  and  saw  two  angels  sitting,  one 
at  the  head  and  another  at  the  feet  where 
the  body  of  Christ  had  lain.  Wondering 
who  had  taken  away  their  Lord  they  turned 
away,  and  Mary,  meeting  someone  whom 
she  supposed  to  be  the  gardener,  asked 
him  if  he  had  taken  Him  away  where  he 
had  laid  Him.  Christ's  reply,  "  Mary," 
must  have  been  full  of  love,  and  probably 
with  some  sorrow  in  the  tones,  sorrow 

26 


The  Night  Before  Easter 

because  she  had  not  believed  His  words 
that  He  would  rise  again.  Mary's  heart 
was  full  of  joy  as  she  hastened  to  tell  His 
disciples  that  their  Leader  and  beloved 
Friend  had  risen. 

After  this  He  appeared  several  times  to 
different  disciples.  One  of  these  occasions 
was  in  Galilee  at  the  Sea  of  Tiberias.  It 
was  in  the  quiet  of  the  morning  and  as  He 
stood  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  the  tired 
disciples  were  coming  in  after  a  night  of 
unsuccessful  fishing.  He  called  to  them, 
"  Children,  have  ye  any  meat?  "  and  as 
they  came  toward  the  shore  they  saw  the 
blue  smoke  of  a  fire  ascending  and  Jesus 
standing  by.  How  their  hearts  must  have 
been  moved!  There  was  their  Leader 
whom  they  had  lived  with  and  followed 
from  city  to  city,  whom  they  had  professed 
to  love,  but  whom  in  His  hour  of  agony  and 
death  they  had  forsaken  and  fled  from, 
leaving  Him  without  their  support  and  com- 
fort. We  also  remember  that  Peter  was 
with  them,  who  had  said,  "  Although  all 
shall  be  offended,  yet  will  not  I,"  and  then 
had  denied  Christ  three  times  and  with 
oaths  declared  he  never  knew  Him. 

Jesus  gave  them  no  formal  welcome  but 
with  love  He  had  prepared  what  tired,  dis- 

27 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

couraged,  hungry  men  needed,  and  had 
ready  a  fire  to  warm  them  with  "  fish  laid 
thereon,  and  bread,"  and  with  welcome  in 
His  voice  He  said,  "  Come  and  dine." 
There  was  no  word  of  reproach  in  the  wel- 
come. After  they  had  eaten  He  said  more 
than  once  to  Peter,  "  Lovest  thou  me?" 
and  vacillating  Peter  became  henceforth 
as  firm  as  his  name  indicates,  a  rock. 
Could  we  have  treated  friends  who  forsook 
and  left  us  to  die  as  Jesus  met  those  who 
had  forsaken  Him  and  fled,  leaving  Him 
to  the  cruel  death  on  the  cross? 

Inspired  by  Christ's  love  and  example 
the  disciples  went  everywhere  telling  of  the 
resurrection.  Men  who  had  only  partially 
believed  in  it  rejoiced,  and  many  joined  His 
disciples  in  becoming  Christ's  followers. 
Let  us  not  forget  His  command,  "  Follow 
thou  me,"  and  to  pray  to  Him  and  call  Him 
"  Father." 

We  make  too  much  of  creeds  and  dog- 
matic statements  of  beliefs.  Facts  about 
some  of  them  are  not  clear,  and  wise  and 
good  men  differ  in  interpreting  them.  Too 
much  dwelling  on  them  separates  Christ's 
followers.  What  is  essential  for  true  Chris- 
tian living  is  stated  constantly  in  the 
Bible,  and  Micah  has  made  this  very  clear 

28 


The  Night  Before  Easter 

when  he  said,  "  What  doth  the  Lord 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to 
love  mercy,  and  to  walk  in  reverent  com- 
panionship with  thy  God?  "  This  world  is 
only  one  of  God's  homes,  and  when  the 
body  is  worn  out  here  there  comes  a 
change  and  we  drop  this  worn-out  body 
and  pass  into  the  Other  Home,  which  our 
Heavenly  Father  has  been  preparing  for 
us,  perhaps  with  the  help  of  our  friends 
who  have  gone  before.  It  is  told  of  a  little 
boy  who  soon  passed  to  the  Heavenly  Home 
that  he  said,  "  I  would  like  to  go  to  the 
evening  star  and  have  plenty  of  flowers 
planted  when  Mother  comes." 

Each  one  takes  with  him  to  Heaven  the 
noble  traits  of  his  character.  These  are 
immortal.  Let  us  cultivate  these,  do  what 
God  wants  us  to  do  and  thus  in  His  com- 
panionship we  will  begin  Heaven  here. 
If  keeping  God's  commandments  becomes 
a  habit,  less  and  less  do  we  wish  to  disobey 
them,  more  and  more  grows  the  desire  to 
do  God's  will  as  it  is  done  in  Heaven. 
Do  not  let  us  worry  because  we  accomplish 
so  little,  let  us  remember  that  this  is  God's 
world.  He  is  carrying  on  His  plans  here. 
Let  us  do  all  we  can  to  help,  and  nothing 
to  hinder,  leaving  the  rest  to  Him ;  remem- 

29 


Saturday  Night  Thoughts  in  Lent 

bering  that  He  said,  "  Fear  not,  little 
flock;  for  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure 
to  give  you  the  kingdom."  We  are  follow- 
ing a  Leader  who  will  surely  bring  us  to 
victory. 


30 


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